She is known for overthrowing the dominating alliance in Marquesas and her leadership over the post-switch Maraamu tribe. She is also known for flipping on Paschal English and Neleh Dennis in the final 4 causing the first ever rock draw.

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Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has lived in Boston, Massachusetts; Charlotte, N. Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, D.C.; and San Diego, California. She attended Cohasset High School in Massachusetts before her four years of college at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien currently works as a real estate agent. Prior to this, she was self-employed for 10 years running her small businesses: a unique paper, gifts, and art products store and an event-planning business. She also worked in newspaper advertising. Her favorite hobbies are hiking, skiing, sailing, road-biking and fly-fishing. In 1998, she biked across the United States for the American Lung Association as a dedication to her father. The trip was 48 days from Seattle to Washington, D.C., and raised over $1.5 million.

Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien currently resides in Burlington, Vermont. She has one son, Patrick. Her birth date is Jan. 6.

Since finishing in third place on SURVIVOR: MARQUESAS, Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien began a foundation to help women gain self confidence through outdoor adventure, challenges and risk taking (www.therealfoundation.com). Kathy also has established a new business (R3) to encourage and inspire corporate teams and individuals.

Kathy was born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has lived in Boston, Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Washington, D.C. and San Diego. She attended Cohasset High School in Massachusetts before her four years of college at the Rhode Island School of Design.

Kathy currently works as a real estate agent in Northern Vermont. Prior to this, she was self-employed for 10 years running two small businesses: a unique paper, gifts and art products store and an event-planning business. She also worked in newspaper advertising. Her favorite hobbies are hiking, skiing, sailing, road-biking and fly-fishing. In 1998, she biked across the country for the American Lung Association as a dedication to her father. The trip was 48 days from Seattle to Washington, D.C., and raised more than $1.5 million.

Kathy currently resides in Burlington, Vermont. She has one son, Patrick. Her birth date is Jan. 6, 1954.

For her memorable acts during Marquesas, Kathy returned in All-Stars. She was placed on the Mogo Mogo tribe. The Mogo Mogo tribe emerged as a hard working tribe, building a shelter on Day 1. Richard Hatch rubbed his tribe mates the wrong way though, by not working and feeling that he was the king of Survivor. Kathy seemed interested in Jenna Morasca's ideas to start an all female alliance with her and Shii Ann Huang but when Richard found out the alliance was disbanded. Kathy was in no immediate danger while on Mogo Mogo because of the tribe placing second in two of the first three challenges.

When Kathy noticed Jenna Morasca was not eating, Kathy took it upon herself to force Jenna to eat. On Day 9 Kathy noticed Jenna was feeling especially bad because her mother had cancer and was unwell when Jenna left for All-Stars and tried to console her. When Jenna quit later that day Kathy felt sad at Jenna's decision, but felt it was the right thing to do. Kathy was still not in danger of being voted off as Mogo Mogo won the next Immunity Challenge

On Day 13 a tribe dissolve occurred, dissolving the rival Saboga tribe. Mogo Mogo received Ethan Zohn and Jerri Manthey as new tribe mates. Kathy agreed with the tribes plans of eliminating the newcomers at the first opportunity they got. That opportunity came two days later as Mogo Mogo lost the Immunity Challenge. Kathy was set on voting out Ethan over Jerri because he had already won the game but when Lex van den Berghe approached her about a counter alliance to oust the obnoxious Richard, Kathy had to re-think her vote. Richard parading around naked is what ultimately made Kathy decide on her vote. At Tribal COuncil she voted with Lex and Richard was eliminated.

Kathy joined a separate women's alliance consisting of herself, Shii Ann Huang and Jerri along with being in the main alliance with Lex. The women planned to vote off Colby first for his mistreatment of Jerri in their first season. Later, Jerri convinced Lex to join the women's alliance. When Mogo Mogo lost the Immunity Challenge in Sorry... I Blew It Kathy was kidnapped by Chapera. She felt very accepted by Chapera and was surprised at the easy going nature of the tribe, in comparison to Mogo Mogo's serious nature. Since Kathy was at Chapera she skipped the Tribal Council where Colby was voted out.

When Kathy returned to Mogo Mogo she was saddened because her small break from her tribe was over. After receiving Tree-Mail saying that the tribe had to send a member from Mogo Mogo to Chapera. Kathy was selected because she had already formed a bond with the tribe. Once again Kathy had a great time at Chapera. Kathy returned to Mogo Mogo after the Reward Challenge. Mogo Mogo failed to win the Immunity Challenge sending Kathy to Tribal Council again. Kathy's alliance targeted Ethan for being the only outsider of the tribe and for being a former winner. Although Ethan was the easy choice, Kathy was approached by Ethan to form a counter alliance and vote out Jerri. At Tribal Council Kathy stuck with her original alliance and Ethan was voted off.

On Day 23 the tribes met, with Mogo Mogo and Chapera expecting a merge. Jeff asked the castaways to pair of and have a private chat with one-another. Kathy was paired up with Alicia Calaway. Jeff later revealed that the tribes were not merging, instead they were switching. Kathy, along with all the remaining Mogo Mogo members were all switched to Chapera. Amber Brkich was the only new member on the tribe. Chapera celebrated when they reached their new campsite. The new Chapera tribe lost the Immunity Challenge. While leaving the challenge Lex struck a deal with Mogo Mogo member, Rob Mariano to save Amber. The tribe went along with Lex's idea and targeted Jerri. Kathy went along with Lex's plan to vote out Jerri and Jerri was voted out at Tribal Council.

The tribes merged on Day 26 into the Chaboga Mogo tribe. Kathy assumed she was in a good place in the game, having a previous bond with the members of Mogo Mogo and having made a deal with Rob. Kathy won the first Individual Immunity Challenge. When Rob revealed he planned on betraying Lex, Kathy considered giving Immunity to Lex to save him but possibly eliminate herself. At Tribal Council Kathy decided to keep her immunity so Lex was voted out. Kathy then became a target due to her being one of the last remaining original Mogo Mogo members. At the reward challenge, Kathy was teamed up with Jenna Lewis, Big Tom Buchanan, and Rupert Boneham. Kathy's team lost, which also prevented her from competing for immunity. Rob gave up his reward so everyone else can have there's. Kathy wonder if the move was strategic or from pure kindness. Kathy warned the lower members of the Chapera Alliance to come with Mogo Mogo or be picked off. Kathy's lobbying failed and she was voted out 6-2.

At Final Tribal Council, Kathy was the second person to speak. Kathy reminded Rob on after Marquesas he was worried about how he was going to be perceived. Her question to him was what will people think of him after he used and killed friendships to get to a place, where is that place and he is concerned about this. Rob admitted to abusing friendships and is worried about it, but he didn't know where that place is. Rob also claimed he was not a Malicious person and would intentionally hurt anybody. Kathy then asked Amber if she was playing Rob and if she won, would she continued her relationship with him in real life. Amber admitted that she was initially flirting with Rob as strategy. However, as the game continued, she did genuine feelings for him and would hope to continue their relationship. Kathy then give an emotional heartfelt speech about how Rob crushed her severely and that the finalists could have taken a different way that would not have left the jury hurt as they are now. Kathy voted for Rob to win. Her reason was that she still believed that they had a friendship, just it was fractured.

Both times she competed, she finished on the Jury and voted for the eventual runner-up.

In both cases, the SoleSurvivor (who were female) earned the votes of the first juror (who was male), the third juror (who was female), and the fourth and fifth jurors. The runner-up received the votes from the second, sixth and seventh jurors which consisted of two females (one of which was Kathy herself) and a male.

Kathy holds the record for most confessionals made by a woman in a non-finale episode, with a total of 13 in True Lies.

Kathy is the first, and so far only, Survivor contestant from Vermont.

By birth date, Kathy is the oldest female to compete on Survivor more than once; the oldest female to compete more than once by age (not birth date) is Tina Wesson who was 52 when she competed on Survivor: Blood vs. Water.

Kathy is the first returning player to win individual immunity.

Kathy is one of four castaways to have been the second and last member of the jury in their Survivor career.

She and Jenna accomplished this feat being the last member of a seven-person jury, while Jerri and Ozzy did so in a nine-person jury.

She is the only one of the four to have accomplished this feat being the last member in their first time serving on the jury, then the second in their second go-around, as the others did so in reverse order.